Moses Jones Wentworth (1848–1922) was an American lawyer and politician from
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, who served as a member of the
29th,
30th, and
31st General Assemblies in the
Illinois House of Representatives, from the 1st District.
He was elected as a member of the short-lived
Illinois Opposition Party.
Biography
Moses J. Wentworth was born in
Sandwich, New Hampshire
Sandwich is a town in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. Its population was 1,466 at the 2020 census. Sandwich includes the villages of Center Sandwich and North Sandwich. Part of the White Mountain National Forest is in the north, a ...
on May 9, 1848. He graduated from
Phillips Academy in 1863, and from
Harvard College
Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...
in 1868. He moved to Chicago later that year.
He earned a Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Ch ...
degree from the University of Chicago Law School
The University of Chicago Law School is the law school of the University of Chicago, a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. It is consistently ranked among the best and most prestigious law schools in the world, and has many dis ...
, and was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1871.[
While in the Illinois General Assembly, Wentworth introduced the successful statute which required ]compulsory school attendance
Compulsory education refers to a period of education that is required of all people and is imposed by the government. This education may take place at a registered school or at other places.
Compulsory school attendance or compulsory schooling ...
in Illinois.
By 1896 he was associated with the Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
, and was a gold Democrat
The National Democratic Party, also known as Gold Democrats, was a short-lived political party of Bourbon Democrats who opposed the regular party nominee William Jennings Bryan in the 1896 presidential election. The party was then a "liberal" p ...
delegate to the 1896 Democratic National Convention
The 1896 Democratic National Convention, held at the Chicago Coliseum from July 7 to July 11, was the scene of William Jennings Bryan's nomination as the Democratic presidential candidate for the 1896 U.S. presidential election.
At age 36, B ...
.
He married Lizzie Shaw Hunt on December 7, 1891, and they had two sons. He was the nephew of "Long John" Wentworth, mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
of Chicago, and handled his uncle's business affairs and estate.[
Moses J. Wentworth died at his home in Chicago on March 12, 1922, and was buried at ]Rosehill Cemetery
Rosehill Cemetery (founded 1859) is an American garden cemetery on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois, and at , is the largest cemetery in the City of Chicago. According to legend, the name "Rosehill" resulted from a City Clerk's error – the a ...
.[
]
References
Lawyers from Chicago
Democratic Party members of the Illinois House of Representatives
1848 births
1922 deaths
Harvard College alumni
University of Chicago Law School alumni
Burials at Rosehill Cemetery
{{Illinois-Ilrepresentative-stub